Setup guide · Supported
Connect your HiWatch camera to storage you own.
HiWatch is a Hikvision series and uses the same stream format. Pick the Hikvision tile and sign in with the device password.
The password is the device password. Not your Wi‑Fi password and not your Hik‑Connect login. That is the most common reason a camera refuses to connect.
- 1
Install the Unicam hub
- Install Unicam on a Mac or Windows PC, or run the hub on a Raspberry Pi, NAS or Docker host on the same network as the camera.
- 2
Find the device password
- It is the admin password set when the camera or NVR was activated
- 3
Add it in Unicam
- Open Add camera. Unicam scans your network and lists the cameras it finds
- Pick “Hikvision / Hik-Connect”
- Enter the password (the username is admin)
- Unicam tests the login before saving, and tells you exactly what went wrong if it fails
- 4
Choose where footage goes
- Sign in to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, or add a NAS, S3, B2, R2 or Wasabi destination
- Pick a record mode: Events (motion only), Smart 24/7 or Continuous
- Every clip is encrypted on the hub before upload
Stream links
You rarely need these: Unicam builds them from the brand tile or asks the camera over ONVIF. They help if you use “RTSP / other URL” or another app.
- Main stream (recording)
- Sub-stream (grid & motion)
Special characters in a password (like @ or #) must be URL-encoded in a link. Unicam does this for you when you use a brand tile.
If it doesn’t connect
Unicam names the problem instead of “connection failed”. What each message means:
- “The camera refused that username or password”
- Check you used the device password from Hik‑Connect, not your Wi‑Fi password or app login. Unicam shows how many tries are left before the camera locks itself.
- “Streaming to other apps is switched off”
- The camera answered but refused video. Look for an RTSP or ONVIF switch in the camera’s network settings.
- “Nothing answered at that address”
- The camera’s IP address may have changed, or it’s on a different network or VLAN from the hub. Run the scan again or check your router’s device list.
- “Not on the usual stream link for this brand”
- Your model uses a different path. Pick “Any ONVIF camera” so the camera tells Unicam its links, or paste a custom link.
Related guides
- HikvisionHikvision cameras and NVRs stream over RTSP out of the box. Sign in with the device’s admin password, not your Hik‑Connect login.Read guide →
- HilookHiLook is a Hikvision brand and uses the same stream format. Pick the Hikvision tile and sign in with the device password.Read guide →
- PramaPrama cameras and DVRs, popular in India, generally follow the Hikvision stream format. Pick the Hikvision tile, or “Any ONVIF camera” if that fails.Read guide →
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